Apparatus for threshing and cleaning seed-cotton.



No. 775,754. r PATENTED NOV. 22, .1904.

H. H. KELLY.

A PPARATU S FOR'THRESHING AND CLEANING SEED COTTON.

APPLICATION FILED iBB. 24, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED NOV. 2 1904.

H. HAKBLLY. 4 APPARATUS FOR THRESHING AND CLEANING SEED COTTON.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1904.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.NO MODEL.

ZZ- 25x25 was,

- UNITED STATES Patented November 22, 1904.

PATENT OEErcE.

HIRAM H. KELLY, OF CRANDALL, TEXAS.

APPARATUS FOR THRESHING AND CLEANING SEED-COTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 775,754, datedNovember 22, 1904. Application filed February 24, 1904:. Serial No.195,067. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HIRAM H. KELLY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Crandall,

- Y in the county of Kaufman and State of Texas,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Threshing andCleaning Seed-Cotton, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a novel apparatus for threshing and cleaningseed-cotton, and has for its object to provide a device into which thecotton-bolls are fed, partly mechanically and partly by suction, thebolls being broken up and the cotton drawn out and the dirt and trashseparated therefrom, the cotton being thus prepared for treatment in theordinary holler-gin.

The invention further has to dowith certain novel constructions,combinations, and operations of parts hereinafter specified whereby thegeneral operation above outlined is carried out.

That which I claim as new will be indicated in the claims following thespecification.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichigure1 is a sectional side elevation of a machine constructed according to myinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is atransverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 indicates a casing, shown to berectangular in form, provided at one side near its upper end with aninlet-pipe 2 for seed and bolled cotton at the opposite side near thebottom with an outlet 3 and at its bottom with a hopper 4. The casing 1is shown to be mounted upona baseblock 5. Mounted upon this base-blockin a suitable bearing at its lower end is a shaft 6, which projectsthrough and is suitably journaled in the top of the casing 1 and isprovided with a pulley 7 or other suitable means, whereby it may berotated. Mounted upon the shaft 6 to rotate therewith is a cylinder 8,the wall of which is formed of suitable foraminous material, such aswire-gauze. The wiregauze is supported by means of bars 9, arranged atintervals throughout the circumference of the cylinder 8, and eachspider is proas wire-gauze, supported upon bars 12, and

each bar 12 is provided with a row of in- Wardly-projecting fingers 13,which extend inwardly between the picker-fingers 10 of the cylinder 8.The bottoms of the cylinders 8 and 11 are open, so as to permit trashand dirt to fall into the hopper 4.

The inlet-pipe 2, above referred to, extends through the wall of thecasing l and through the wall of the cylinder 11, so as to communicatewith the interior of the latter. The outlet-pipe 3 also extends throughthe wall of the casing 1 and through the wall of the cylinder 11 tocommunicate with the interior of the latter. The outlet-pipe 3communicates with a machine for separating the air from the cotton. Thismachine comprises a casing 13 a segment of each side wall of which isformed of foraminous material, such as wire-gauze 14: 14c, and ontheouter side of said casing 13 are inclosed segmental chambers 15, theinner side of each of which is formed by the foraminous material 14.These chambers, as shown, extend approximately about the upper half ofthe c'asing13. Communicating with the chambers 15 on the side of theeas- -ing opposite to that at which the spout 3 is located is a spout16, which communicates with a fan-casing 17 In the casing 13 isjournaleol a paddle-wheel 18, which may revolve in any suitable mannerfrom its shaft 19. Between each two blades 20 of the paddle-wheel isformed a pocket 21 for the reception of the cotton-seeds and cotton. Thelower side of the casing 13 is provided with an opening 22, throughwhich the cotton is discharged from the pockets 21. Extending from thehopper 1 is a suction-pipe 23, which communicates with the chambers 15.

The operation of the device as thus far described is as follows: Thecotton-bolls are fed in through the pipe 2, the feeding beingfacilitated by the suction produced in the machine by the fan 17 andalso by the engagement of the picker-fingers 10 with the cotton-bolls.As the cylinder 8 revolves these bolls are drawn by the picker-fingers10 between the fingers13 and over the foraminous surfaces of the twocylinders 8 and 11, so that the cotton-bolls are thoroughlydisintegrated and the cotton loosened and drawn out. While this is beingeffected the suction-pipe 23 is drawing air from within the cylinder 8and from the outside of the stationary cylinder 11, while through thepipe 3 air is drawn from the inside of the cylinder 11 and the outsideof the cylinder 8. All dirt or trash passing through the meshes of thecylinders or falling from between them drops into the hopper 1 and iscarried away from the suction-pipe 23, the chambers 15, the pipe 16, tothe fan-casing 17, whence it is discharged.

In the operation of the apparatus as the cotton reaches the outlet-pipe3 it is drawn by suction therethrough into respective pockets 21, thesuction being exerted from the chambers 15 through the wire-cloth walls14:. It will be seen, therefore, that while this suction draws thecotton into the respective pockets 21 the wire-cloth walls 1 1 willprevent the cotton from being drawn along by the suction of the fan, thepaddle-wheel18 revolving with its blades in close proximity to theforaminous walls 1 1, as will be understood. Hence as the saidpaddle-wheel revolves it will continually receive in the pockets 21 aquantity of threshed cotton from the spout 3, and as the pockets 21 passbeyond the outer end of the chambers 15, said end being indicated by 21,all suction on the cotton ceases, and hence as the pockets come oppositethe opening 22 in the casing 13 the cotton will be discharged. Thus acomplete separation between the current of air induced by the fan 17 andthe cotton to be discharged is effected.

The machine above described thus serves to thoroughly break up or threshthe cottonbolls and loosen or draw out cotton, while at the same timeseparating a great deal or the dirt and trash therefrom, such as thehulls of the bolls, and the cotton may be presented to the gin in acondition to be readily operated upon in the known manner of operationof such machines.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In combination with a machine for threshing cotton, a suction devicefor withdrawing the cotton from said machine, a casing interposedbetween the said suction device and the machine and communicating withthe latter and having an outlet, a carrier mounted in said casing, achamber provided on either side of said casing and communicating withsaid suction device and provided with foraminous sides adjacent to saidcarrier, and a suction pipe leading from the bottom of said casing andaffording communication between said machine and one of said chambers.

2. In a seed-cotton thresher and cleaner,the combination with a casing,of an inner revolving and an outer stationary cylinder, both offoraminous material, mounted therein and provided, respectively, withoppositely-directed coacting fingers, an inlet-pipe leading to, and anoutlet-pipe leading from said outer cylinder, a suction device forwithdrawing the cotton from said casing,a refuse-pipe leading from thebottom of said casing and communicating with said suction device, andmeans interposed between said casing and said suction device forpreventing the cotton from following the course of the air-current andfor discharging the cotton from the apparatus.

3. In a seed-cotton thresher and cleaner, the combination with a casing,of an inner revolving and an outer stationary cylinder, both offoraminous material, mounted therein and provided, respectively, withoppositely-directed coacting fingers, an inlet-pipe leading to, and anoutlet-pipe leading from said outer cylinder, a refuse-pipe leading fromsaid casing, and a suction device for simultaneously withdrawing thecotton from said casing and the refuse through said pipe. 1

1. In a seed-cotton thresher and cleaner, the combination with a casing,of an inner revolving and an outer stationary cylinder, both offoraminous material, mounted therein and provided, respectively, withoppositely-directed coacting fingers, an inlet-pipe leading to, and anoutlet-pipe leading from said outer cylinder, and means including asuction device for withdrawing the cotton, and the dirt and trash fromsaid casing by different paths. 5. In a seed-cotton thresher andcleaner, the combination with a casing provided with a hopper in itsbottom, of an inner revolving and an outer stationary cylinder, both oftoraminous material, mounted therein and provided, respectively, withoppositely-directed coacting fingers, an inlet-pipe leading to, and

an outlet-pipe leading from said outer cylinder, a suction-pipe leadingfrom said hopper and a suction device for withdrawing the cottonfrom'said outlet and the dirt and trash through said suction-pipe.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HIRAM H. KELLY.

WVitnesses:

J. D. BOYKIN, E. T. THoMAs.

